1. Field
The field of the invention is rigid composite steel-concrete structures and more particularly such structures comprising network reinforcement.
2. State of the Art
Many beams, slabs, columns and other structures are commonly made up of concrete with steel reinforcing members embedded in the concrete in proper locations to resist flexural and column buckling stresses. Most commonly, individual steel bars are used, and the concrete is monolithic within such structures. Floor slabs, for instance, generally comprise a single layer of concrete with embedded tensile and compressive reinforcing bars near its bottom and top surfaces respectively. Sometimes, flat sections of steel network are used in such structures. Occasionally, three dimensional reticulated reinforcing structures have been used so as to each provide both tensile and compressive reinforcement. An example of such a reinforcing structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,465. U.S. Pat. Nos. 993,851, and 1,578,416, disclose reticulated structural members, not however adapted for use in concrete structures. A form of three dimensional network structure known as steel studding is sometimes used as a core structure for supporting attached plasterboard, or plaster or stucco applied thereon. Such core structures do themselves resist column type loads, but do so essentially unaided by the plaster or the like.
The above mentioned uses of network reinforcement, whether two or three dimensional, in monolithic beams, slabs and the like, have been wasteful of concrete, since the concrete near the flexural axes is very inefficiently utilized. The structures have accordingly been unnecessarily heavy. Further, such structures have not exhibited maximum capacity as insulating structures.